SEVEN FIGURES richer, Polk County man becomes millionaire in scratch-off win

Nikki DeMarco

May 17, 2024 at 4:34 PM·1 min read

A Polk County man is a millionaire after winning a $1 million top prize from the SEVEN FIGURES scratch-off game form the Florida Lottery.

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Carlos Cole, Sr. claimed the $1 million dollar prize after purchasing his ticket from the Publix, located at 6031 Cypress Gardens Boulevard in Winter Haven.

The 53-year-old chose to receive his winnings as a one-time lump-sum payment of $695,000.

Read: Study finds excessive heat increases number of work-related injuries

The store that sold the winning ticket received a $2,000 bonus commission.

The $5 money-themed ticket features more than 5.8 million winning tickets, with a top prize of $1 million offers more than $79.5 million in total cash prizes.

Read: Florida reports record-breaking tourism numbers in 2023

Scratch-off games made up 72% of ticket sales in the 2022-2023 fiscal year.

Since their inception, scratch-off games have generated more than $18.95 billion for the Education Enhancement Trust Fund and is responsible for contributing more than $46 billion to enhance education and sending more than 983,000 students to college through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program.

Read: LEGOLAND Florida Brick Party returns this summer

Since 1988, Florida Lottery games have paid more than $91.2 billion in prizes and made more than 3,800 people millionaires, according to lottery officials.

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SEVEN FIGURES richer, Polk County man becomes millionaire in scratch-off win

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